Register by October 25: https://go.rutgers.edu/4mipihj
Fruit Crops Edition
Seasonal updates on diseases, insects, weeds impacting tree fruit and small fruit (blueberry, cranberry, and wine grape). Fruit Pest Alerts are also available via this category feed.
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September 30, 2025 Claudia Gil Arroyo
Farming Twilight Meeting – October 23
October Farming Twilight Meeting
October 23, 2025
5:00PM – 7:30 PM
Location:
Rea’s Farm Market
400 Stevens Street
West Cape May NJ 08204
Program
4:30 PM – Registration / Light Refreshments
5:00 PM – Welcome – Claudia Gil Arroyo, Cape May County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES
5:10 PM – Using Data to Drive Sales
Claudia Gil Arroyo, Cape May County Agent III; Rutgers NJAES
5:45 PM – IPM: Identifying Thrips & Tomato Spotted Wilted Virus (TSWV)
Maria Cramer, Senior Program Coordinator Vegetable IPM, Rutgers NJAES
6:20 PM – IPM Program Implementation in Ornamental Crops
Timothy Waller, Cumber County Agent III, Nursery; Rutgers NJAES
6:55 PM – What I’ve learned about blueberry growing over the past 40 years
Gary Pavlis, Atlantic County CEDH & County Agent II; Rutgers NJAES
Light refreshments will be served.
The following pesticide recertification credits will be awarded: 1A (2 units), 3A (1 unit), 10 (3 units), PP2 (3 units)
Please RSVP by October 20, 2025:
Jocelyn Shillingford 609-465-5115 ext. 3607 or capemayag@njaes.rutgers.edu
September 22, 2025 Claudia Gil Arroyo
Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project – Info session
The program, “Networks to Reduce Risk: Annie’s Project Builds Viable Farms in Urban and Rural NJ” will include four unique field trips and a dynamic, six-part webinar series. The overarching goal of this program is to improve risk management strategies of urban and rural farm business owners by connecting them with interactive educational opportunities, practical resources, and each other. This program is open to all.
Interested participants can attend an upcoming informational session to learn more about the program objectives and activities, the expected benefits for participants, and receive information about program registration. The informational session will be held online via Zoom on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. To register for the informational session, please visit go.rutgers.edu/ntrrinfosession. Registration is required.
All questions can be directed to anniesproject@njaes.rutgers.edu.
This work is supported by the Northeast Extension Risk Management project award no. 2024-70027-42540, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Thank you so much in advance!
September 18, 2025 Michelle Infante-Casella
Webinar on Monday 9/22/26 from 12-1PM: Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions
According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, agriculture is one of the most dangerous occupations. This is due to the varied number of agricultural risks encountered by farmers and farm workers. Recent events in New Jersey have brought up concerns about farm equipment on public roads.
On Monday, September 22nd from 12:00PM-1:00PM EST, there will be a webinar on
“Farm Equipment Hits the Highway: Growing Risks and Smarter Solutions”
Summary: Tractors and other large ag machines are spending more time on public roads than ever before. As farms expand and equipment grows in size, the risks on rural roadways continue to rise, not just for farmers but for the entire motoring public. This session will explore how design solutions, especially those connected to lighting and marking design standards, reduce collision risk. We’ll unpack crash data, examine discrepancies between federal and state requirements, and highlight recent NHTSA regulations that focus national attention on these issues. We’ll also explore new risks associated with trailering, longer transport routes, and the safety implications of the accelerating shift toward autonomous and robotic machinery.
Objectives: At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
Describe how changes in farm size, equipment design, and changes in rural communities contribute to increased roadway travel and higher collision risk.
*Explain the purpose and impact of consensus design standards and how alignment (or misalignment) with state regulations can influence roadway safety outcomes.
*Identify new roadway safety concerns tied to equipment trailering, larger machines, and longer travel distances across spread-out farm operations.
*Assess how automation and robotics in agriculture will introduce both new risks and promising safety solutions—and how policy, like California’s current occupational safety tractor rules, will shape their future use.
Intended audience: Farmers, policymakers, extension educators, engineers from equipment companies, law enforcement, clinicians, health professionals, agricultural association leaders, agribusiness professionals, insurance loss control/underwriters, vo-ag instructors, machinery dealers
Meet the Presenter: Dr. John Shutske, Agricultural Safety & Health Specialist and Professor, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Register by first creating a free account on https://learning.agrisafe.org/register
And then using this link to register for the free webinar: https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/farm-equipment-hits-the-highway-growing-risks-and-smarter-solutions
